Eolliire-chaib



C. N. HAZELTON.

ROLLING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT; 11. 1910.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.-

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CHARLES N. HAZELTON, 0F MORRISON, ILLINOIS ROLLING-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Applicationfiled October 11, 1918. Serial No. 257,796.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. HAZEL- a citizen of the United States, residing at Morrison, in the county of i/Vhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rolling-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains tov rolling chairs of that class which are designed for use either inside of a house or on the outside thereof, as desired, and it is an improvement upon similar vehicles shown and described in former Letters Patent of the United States numbered 1,128,872, issued to myself January 5th, 1915, and also in former Letters Patent of, the United States numbered 1,142,168, issued to myself June 8th, 1915.

Said former machines possessed some disadvantages, one of which, fact that on account of the small amount of space between the platform and the ground it was impossible to employ auxiliary swivel wheels ofa suitable size' This was largely by reason of the fact that it was necessary that said space be of suflicient depth to accommodate the wheels in their movements from an operative position to an inoperative one, and also contain the supporting devices for such wheels. It was therefore found to be impossible to use anything but small wheels, orcasters, of a cast-iron charwhich would wrinkle and scuff up rugs and carpets, and would not readily run over small objects, such as door sills.

In the present device changes have been made in the chair structure which permit of the use of a much larger wheel in the swivel mechanism, combined with greater efficiency and ease of operation of the chair. Chairs of this character are usually pro- 7 vided with wire wheels, and the change mentioned makes it possible to secure a standard wheel of that type, of approximately eight inches in diameter, which will conform-with the other wheels of the vehicle, and add to the appearance thereof Other advantages of my invention will more fully appear in the following specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying the same, in which: 7

Figure 1 shows my invention, in vertical longitudinal. section. Fig. 2 is a detail, showing the platform of the chair and supporting wheels therefor. Fig. 3 is a detail arose from the of the swivel devices. Fig. 4 shows the hand-lever mechanism, detached.

The device comprises a main frame 1, suitably supported on large carrying-wheels 2, each provided with a hand-rim 3, for operation of the chair by the occupant thereof. Upon the frame 1 is mounted a seat 4, and pivotally connected with said frame near the rear end thereof is aback 5, capable of aMorris-chair adjustment on the rear ends of arm-rests 6, supported from the frame. The frame is also provided with side-arms 7, to which is swingin ly attached a v.pair of handle-bars 8, projecting upwardly and rearwardly, and united by a handle 9, capable of being swung downwardly out of the way, as shown in broken lines, when the chair is in use in a limited space. All of the above-named features were fully .set out in one or both of said former patents.

The chair is provided with a platform, comprising a pair of side-pieces 10, supported from the main frame at the sides thereof, by means of braces 11,712, and 13. The platform is made up of a forward section 14, preferably hinged at its inner edge, so as to fold rearwardly, and cross-pieces 15 and 16, secured on the inner faces of the members 10. Said members are further united by a shaft 17, on the ends of which are small carrying-wheels 18, preferably in line with the wheels 2, and capable, when in use therewith, of propelling the chair in a direct line. These wheels are employed, as mentioned in saidformer patents, for operating the chair on pavements, in parks and other out door places.

The rear ends of the side-pieces-lO are 7 curved upwardly, and the cross-piece 16 1s inclined upwardly to correspond therewith. To the inner faces of the pieces 2 are secured plates 19, which are perforated to form bearings for trunnions 21 on the ends of a rockecting through bar 20, said trunnions pro said plates and into openings extending partially through'the side-pieces in rear of said plates; The rock-bar 20 is provided with a pair ofsleeves 22, in which are. pivoted the fork 23 of swivel-wheels 24, such forks being held removably in place by means of screw-plugs 25 in the ends of said pivots. At one end of the bar 20 is a plate 26, at right angles therewith, and attached to sa id plate is a hand-lever 27, carryinga springcontrolled bolt 28, 4-) for engagement withone of a pair of notches 29 in an are 30, secured at its ends to the parts 10 and 12. The bolt 28 is controlled by means of a hand-piece 31, pivoted at the outer end of the lever 27, and connected with said. bolt by means of a rod 32. By means of the handlever'and associated parts it is possible to rock theibar in a movementof approxi mately forty-five degrees, and lock the same in position at either end of such movement. l/Vhen said lever is forced downwardly, into the position shown in Fig. 1, the wheels 24 are moved rearwardly and upwardly, out of engagement with the floor. When the lever is moved upwardly the wheels 24 are car'- ried downwardly into contact with the floor, raising the wheels 18 therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the device is more specially adapted for house use. The lever 27 is preferably of such a length as to project a little way above the forward edge of the seat, when raised, and thus be convenient for use by the occupant of the chair.

. pieces 10.

The upwardly projecting portion 16 of the platform permits a free movement of the-wheels 24 when they are 1n an extreme forward posltlon, as shown in Fig. 2, and

when they are turned to the outside they pass readily beneath the curved endsof the side- As hereinbefore mentioned, and as set forth in the drawings, the wheels of the rear of the foot-platform, the movement of the chair is much more sensitive. It can be 1 readily turn'edfaround' in the space that it joccupies. j

' 'It will also be observed that in the present device whentheauxiliary swivel wheels are -of from the front,

brought intoan operative position they are moved downwardly from the rear, instead as in said former patents. This makes it possible to locate the handflever in a muchmore convenient position,

and in raising the f-pulling-up on the .60

platform of the chair, by h'andlever, the operator, whether it be the occupant of thechair or an attendant, is pulling against his own weight.

If it is desired to use the chair for out-ofdoor p'urposesonly, the wheels 24] can be removed. or replaced-u One swivel wheel can be used, if desired, at a central point of the bar 20, but the use of the two wheels is preferred. Such wheels turn readily in any direction when in use, the elevation of the rearpart of the platform frame providing ample room therefor.

My invention can be used in its, interchangeable positions in hospitals, and on the grounds or in parks in the vicinity thereof.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure, is: V

1. A device ofthe class described,- comprising a frame and large carrying wheels therefor, a platform supported from said frame and provided with a pair of auxiliary carrying wheels, the rear part of said platform being elevated and swivel devices operatively mounted in the platforin frame, and adapted to raise said auxiliary wheels from contact with the ground, the elevated portion ofsaid platform permitting "free.

movement of said swiveljdevices within the 7 platform frame. .7 V 2. Adevice of theclass described, comprising a frame and carrying wheels therefor; a platform supportedfrom'said frame.

and having its rear part inclined upwardly and rearwardly; a pair of auxiliary carrying-wheels attached to said platform; a rock- .bar journaledin the rear part of said plat form; swivel bar, adapted tobe held tact with the ground in rear of said platform and brought forwardly upon said. bar

being suitably rocked, to raisesaid auxiliary carrying wheels from the for holdingsaid rock-bar in'adjustedposi tions, the inclined portion ofsaid platform permitting a free movement of said swivel devices within the platform frame.

ground, and means 3. A device of the classdescribed, com-' prising a frame and carrying-wheels therefor; a platform'supported fromsaid frame and provided with a pair ofauxiliary carry- .ing wheels, the rear part of said platform' being elevatedya rock-bar-journaled inthe' rear part of said platform; a pairvof swivel wheels mounted in said rock-bar; a handlever connected with said rock-bar and adapted to move said rock-barto a position in rear ofsaid platform, with the swivel-r wheels out of contact with the earth, or move them forwardly so as to engage the ground and elevate said auxiliary carrying-wheels therefrom; and means for locking said handlever at the end of either of s'aidmovements, the elevated portion of said platform permitting a free movementof said swivelwheels within the platform frame.

4. A device ofthe class described, comprising a frame and carryingwheels therefor;

a platform supported from said frame formed of a pairof side piecescurved upwardly at their rear ends, and a floor portion conforming tothe shapepf saidsideieces;

95 devices carried by said rocknormally out of conauxiliary carrying Wheels attached to said platform; a rock-bar journaled in the sides of said platform; a pair of swivel-Wheels supported by said rock-bar, and a hand-lever connected With said rock-bar and adapted to actuate the same to carry said swivel Wheels rearWa-rdly into an inoperative position, or forwardly into an operative position beneath the elevated portion of said platform,

as desired, the upwardly curved portion of 10 CHARLES N. HAZELTON. 

